CAMX 2022 Exhibit Preview: Zünd America

By Composites World

Zünd developed the Heat-Sealing Module (HSM) for digital cutting systems to more cleanly seal, cut and handle thermoplastic composites.

Zünd America’s (Oak Creek, Wis., U.S.) focus at this year’s CAMX is on #LetsTalkWorkflow — in other words, industry-specific workflow solutions that help make digital cutting processes simpler, faster and more productive. This involves the display of a new and improved method for cutting thermoplastic composites, the Heat-Sealing Module (HSM).

HSM, developed for Zünd digital cutting systems, aims to solve the challenge of processing thermoplastic composites— particularly their fraying properties which lead to weak and irregular edges. When mounted on a Zünd digital cutter, the module uses hot air to heat-seal the perimeter of a part prior to cutting. Driven by a fully digitally controlled process, the Zünd software directs the module over the composite material, sealing the fibers around the part edges. In a next step, the high-performance power rotary tool (PRT) cuts the material in full, without leaving uncut or loose fibers behind. This enables fully unattended cutting automation, the company notes, and once the seal and cut operations are completed, the processed parts benefit from complete stability and ease of handling. Zünd contends that the HSM tool facilitates and drastically improves clean cutting and handling of dry fiber materials with thermoplastic content, thus overcoming major, industry-wide challenges and enabling more widespread use of these materials.

The HSM tool will be shown in operation on a Zünd G3 cutter configuration in conjunction with the Robot PortaTable 130, another new Zünd automation solution consisting of a roller table (for easy changeovers to other Zünd cutting systems) equipped with a collaborative robot (cobot) for fully automated parts kitting and sorting. This solution, too, is designed to make processing composite materials quicker, easier and more productive.

This article was published in Composites World September 5, 2022. Zund America, Inc. is a SPESA member. SPESA members are encouraged to email news and releases to marie@spesa.org or maggie@spesa.org to be featured under Member Spotlights.